Hail to the great female vocalists — Page 2

My vote goes to Miss Liza with a Z. I was listening to that album agan this morning and it never fails to give me chills. Love her!

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I'm with Erika - I mean, I love Gwen, but please. It's the whole package with her - she's an exciting performer, but certainly not a great or even strong voice. I am not a Madonna fan, but they are similar in the reasons for their appeal.

I will add to the other names here Toni Lamond (my av) - she's Australian so many of you haven't heard her, but she is one (like so many mentioned in this thread) who has suffered incredible pain and tragedy which comes through in her beautiful, glorious, technically perfect voice.

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Updated On: 6/18/06 at 08:29 PM

Ohh, how could I forget Aretha?

Why can't one put Pink on the list? She can REALLY sing, and her voice is unique.

Idina Menzel can't be on it either, while we're going there.

We're talking about great vocalists of all time. Not the past two years.

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My favorite female vocalists are:

Karen Carpenter
Peggy Lee
Keely Smith
Rosemary Clooney
Ella Fitzgerald
Dionne Warwick
Julie Andrews
Doris Day

Ann Wilson
Annie Lennox

Sarah Vaughan
Ella Fitzgerald
Alice Faye
Judy Garland
Julie Andrews
Karen Carpenter

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Well, since you brought her up, and since you called her the best of the best, I must say that I don't like Rachelle Ferrell. She was born with an incredible range, no doubt about that; but her choice to present her natural ability, with extremely affected phrasing and over-emphasis on lyrics, renders her unlistenable to me. Her sound is unpleasant to me. But, to each their own.

Ella Fitzgerald made so many perfect recordings that I just have to say she's the best ever-- Although it is fun to bust out the Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday et all and compare.

Ella's 16 CDs worth of the "Songbooks" clinches it for me. Sure, some of the songs (and performances) are greater than others but there is simply not a clinker in the bunch. Please folks, if you are not familiar body of work, go buy at least the "Best of the Songbooks" CD and listen to it! You will not regret it!

Ella Fitzgerald signed to Norman Granz's Verve Records and immediately began recording the quintessential American songs with the greatest musicians money could rent. In set after set, she matched the greatest composers (Porter, Gershwin, Mercer, Rodgers & Hart) with the best arrrangers & orchestras around. These records will never be equaled; not only is Ella's voice impeccable, but there will never be arrangements and acoompianists like these again.

And if you are an LP fetishist, go find these records! Double albums, triple albums, even a luscious 5 LP box set with incredible liner notes, illustrations, photos...each one is a bible of what American Music should be!

OK, go! Get it! Now!
"Best of the Songbooks" on Amazon

Surely you mean Page, and not that woman who screamed, Joplin.

Of the modern pop era I love Linda Ronstadt (perfect voice) and Helen Reddy --(a wonderful, pure tone and a humanitarian besides -- practically a saint!)

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"Helen, who's never ready." - Shelley Winters talking about Reddy, on The Tonight Show.

i am very interested in hearing this Miss Toni Lamond now!